Three Conversations About the Columbia Protestors

I have no doubt that my outspoken opinions on the war in Gaza and its implications have won me few favors among my peer group. Disproportionately pro-Palestine and indignant at the older generations for their support of a state that has steadily decayed into barbarism, young people, especially those pursuing a university education, have grown increasingly frustrated with the perceived inaction of the United States to bring about a ceasefire to this war. It has captivated the world over for encapsulating so many global flashpoints, for the war itself demands comment on everything about our global order today. Themes of inequality, American hegemony, bigotry, imperialism, and genocide, both historic and ongoing, pervade conversations surrounding this war. It is the sort of global event that overrides logical deliberation and defaults to tribal identification. In the grand scheme of things, it is a small event in a small corner of the world, directly affecting relatively few people; and …